A lot of Beepen and Tooten But No Booten?

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A lot of Beepen and Tooten But No Booten?

By Stephen Bucaro

You start your computer and all you get is a blank screen
and some beeping noise. You panic because you think you
have some very serious computer problems. Actually, your
concern is justified. The reason your computer is beeping
is because it has a serious problem that prevents it from
communicating via its standard output, the screen. But
don't lose hope, here are some troubleshooting steps you
can take.

The beeps coming from your computer are most likely not
coming from your sound board or on-board sound circuitry.
They are coming from a tiny PC speaker mounted inside the
computer case for the specific purpose of communicating
with humans when it can't communicate via the screen.

You may have noticed that every time you start your
computer the beeps come in the same pattern. They are not
random beeps. The computer is sending a special beep code.
Beep codes are programmed into the computers BIOS (Basic
Input Output System). Unfortunately, there is no standard
for beep codes. Each BIOS manufacturer has their own
patterns. They are not even standard by manufacturer. They
vary by the BIOS version, the motherboard, and computer
manufacturer.

Your first step is to look in the information that came
with your computer for the meaning of beep codes or for
the identity of your BIOS. If you didn't get that
information, try to find it at the web site of the
manufacturer of your computer. If you can't find it at
there, you'll need to open the case of your computer and
read the manufacturer's name and BIOS version off the BIOS
chip.

Although there are thousands of different computer and
motherboard manufacturers, fortunately there are only a few
BIOS manufacturers. Below is a list of the major BIOS
manufacturers websites.

AMI (American Megatrends, Inc.) www.megatrends.com
Phoenix Technologies www.ptltd.com
IBM www.us.pc.ibm.com

If you can't find useful information about your computer's
beep codes at the computer manufacturer's or BIOS
manufacturer's web site, you'll need to troubleshoot by
process of elimination.

A single beep when your computer starts is not an error.
It's to test the PC speaker. If you don't hear a single
beep, either your computer's power supply, motherboard,
or PC speaker is bad.

It's unlikely that you have a bad keyboard, but a bad
keyboard can cause a computer to emit beep codes, and
changing out the keyboard is cheap and easy.

Open your the case of your computer and perform a close
inspection of the motherboard with a magnifying glass. It's
unlikely but possible that something like a staple has been
sucked into the case and is causing a short.

A common cause of beep codes is a problem with RAM. Make
sure the memory modules are installed correctly by gently
but firmly pushing down on each module. If that doesn't
fix it, remove all but one memory module. Usually a single
memory module must be installed in the first bank. If that
doesn't fix it, swap out that module with the next one.
You may need to identify the type of memory your computer
uses and try a brand new memory module.

The reason your computer is emitting beep codes may be
because the video circuitry is bad. If your motherboard
has on-board video, try disabling it and installing a video
adapter card. If your computer uses a video adapter card,
try replacing it or removing it and enabling on-board video.

If that doesn't fix the problem, try removing any expansion
cards (except the video adapter card) and disabling any
I/O circuitry such as USB ports. If that doesn't work, try
replacing the power supply.

If your computer still has a blank screen and is emitting
beep codes, the only posibility left is a bad component on
the motherboard. It could be a CPU failure, but replacing
the CPU is usually expensive - if the type your motherboard
uses is still available.

Replacing a motherboard involves almost totally
isassembling the computer and may require reinstalling
and/or reactivating the operating system, and replacing
some drivers. Hopefully, you will find information about
the meaning of the beep codes, and they will indicate a
problem easier to fix than replacing the motherboard.

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Resource Box:
Copyright(C) 2005 Bucaro TecHelp. To learn how to maintain
your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web
site and make money on the Web visit bucarotechelp.com
To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter visit
http://bucarotechelp.com/search/000800.asp
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About the Author

Copyright(C) 2005 Bucaro TecHelp. To learn how to maintain your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web
site and make money on the Web visit bucarotechelp.com To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter visit
http://bucarotechelp.com/search/000800.asp